What is Monsoon Season?The word “monsoon" came from the Arabic word for “season," and this makes sense since monsoons are seasonal changes in winds that bring drastic changes in weather patterns every year. Although the word monsoon is usually used to refer to torrentialrain, it actually describes the rains and the winds that bring them, as well as the corresponding dry season that follows. For example, southern Asia, especially India, experiences monsoons every summer. From June to September, a high-pressuresystem sits over the Indian Ocean while a low-pressuresystem sits over Asia. These systems bring torrentialrains to southern Asia during this time. Farmers rely on these rains for their crops to grow. About 90% of annual rainfall falls during this time. During the winter the systems reverse, bringing particularly-dry weather for several months. About half of the world's population lives in areas affected by the Asian monsoons.

when is happen in Phuket ?Mid-May to October: Monsoon season in Phuket lasts from May to October. Average temperature during monsoons is 28 °C-29 °C. While the weather is at its humid, windy, but it’s rare that the island would get continuous rainfall.

What Does this mean for Phuket?Phuket is a very small island in a big neighbourhood! To our west sits the Andaman Sea, the bay of Bengal and the India Ocean. To the north and north west of us sits the giant landmass of India, the Himalayas and beyond. These are the major players in this titanic tug of war, and we are simply a spectator sitting a little too close! We very much experience the Monsoon phenomenon and our seasons reflect that of India.

What does this mean for Elizabeth Andaman Sea Trip?We essentially travel to two different regions. Phang Nga and Phi Phi, both east of Phuket itself. Phang Nga luckily sits in a protected bay north east of Phuket. It is protected not only by Phuket itself, but the mainland of Thailand. Although there are still some relatively open passages of water, we’ve found average sea swells to be 1-2 meters less than Phi Phi. We also travel perpendicular to the mainland, and being on a boat, the closer to the protection of land the better!​Phi Phi unfortunately sits 52km south west of Phuket. It normally takes us between an hour and an hour to get there by boat in relatively open waters. Although Phuket Island does offer some protection initially, the second half of the journey is in open water, where swells average 1.5 meters and can get as high 3 meters.Despite the predictability of the monsoon as a phenomenon, the severity of the winds can intensify and relax as low pressures form and dissipate (hence the variation in swell). This is what we monitor on a daily basis and forms the backbone of our decision making (whether to go/cancel/change destination).Its not all doom and glom however! An enjoyable trip to Phi Phi is still very much possible, there is just a relatively increased chance cancellation/change destination).